Paradise
by sdde
Summary: AU, A story that puts Batman in Steve Trevor's place in the mainline Wonder Woman comics but in the present rather than WW2, i.e. Batman crashes on Themyscira. It will eventually include other characters. Please read & review/flame.
1. Crash

**Paradise**

**Crash**

Tonight looked the same as any night on the island of Themyscira, but Diana felt a definite unease in her heart for her homeland's safety this night.

Selene's torch illuminated the night sky in the absence of Apollo's flames and the island bathed in the shine as beautiful as it had ever been during Diana's lifetime. The princess spurred her mare to increase to a gallop as she conducted her assigned patrol of the western shore.

It was not unusual to the royal to carry out the same tasks as her mother's warriors; for Diana was a warrior, as was every woman on Themyscira including Queen Hippolyta herself. This was the isle of the Amazons; every woman earned their place in a society free of the oppression of men to keep it so.

Diana's unease grew as the moon passed its peak in the sky. She was certain she could hear an unnatural thunder out to the seas and beyond the island's protective magic barriers, but the sky was cloudless for miles in all directions. The only answer she could find lay in her warrior's instincts; a battle.

The princess halted her steed and turned her head to the oceans crashing upon the cliffs she had moved atop. "Hera, please let me be wrong," she uttered as she gazed over the endless water. Nothing happened for a time that passed in silence filled by the growing tension in Diana's heart, then...

BOOM

The sound ripped through the peaceful silence as a light rivaling that of Apollo's sun ignited the night above, barely a few miles from the shore, it lasted mere seconds but scared Diana more than she would have thought possible. '_I am a trained Amazon warrior and the Princess of Themyscira!_' she scolded herself. '_I will meet any threat to this land with my blade_.' Despite these defiant thoughts Diana could not reassure her carrier so easily and had to reign in the mare's panicked motions with force. "Calm yourself my friend," she whispered gently to the beast, "I will protect you from any threat with the same strength as I would any of my sisters." Her words did to all purposes calm the animal, but princess knew that she would have to be careful in her commands.

"What could defy Nyx's veil so strongly, I wonder," Diana muttered as she refocused her eyes over the water. Within moments she received an answer. A massive bird, although clearly not a bird, soon came into view spewing dark smoke from its left wing and was struggling to maintain its flight. Fear clawed back into her mind in the realisation the 'bird' was headed for Themyscira at an alarming speed, clearly hoping to find refuge. She pulled the reigns of her steed and spurred it directly to full speed to south east to meet the 'bird' as quickly after it landed as possible, knowing the other Amazons would join her soon after with the same goal.

Diana kept her eyes to the western sky and watched as the 'bird' approached her homeland. As it neared the shoreline its unnatural qualities became ever clearer. It made a choking mechanical noise similar to that of a sword being sharpened, it was actually made of metal and definitely of human construction and its shape was one she would associate with the bats of a cave rather than the birds of the sky. "Just at what extent will Ares stop giving Man the tools to destroy life?" Diana growled as she turned her horse to enter the forest the 'bat' was now passing over.

The bat's trajectory and speed put it to crash half a mile into the forest and if any person was in control of it Diana knew the one place any woman with reason would chose to land. However, she felt she knew this was a man's creation and a man's weapon or toy and, given her teachings, whether he had reason was something she could only hope for.

A tremble rushed through the ground as a mighty crash signaled the bat's landing and once again Diana had to fight her own and her steed's instinctive panic. She entered the clearing moments later and halted her steed at what she saw. An onslaught of destruction; the bat had ploughed through the ancient trees as if they were maize leaving a fiery tunnel littered with debris in its wake.

Diana motioned the horse tentatively, so as not to panic the beast, to move toward the beginning of the trench that began to the nearside of the clearing before slicing through the ground and cutting past the undergrowth of the trees on the farside. The horse obeyed reluctantly, but refused to move past the edge of the disturbed earth, in acceptance the princess dismounted from her steed. She gave the frightened creature some comforting words before turning to the tunnel.

Drawing her sword from the belt of her chiton in her right hand and taking the shield on her back in her left, Diana made her way down newly created path. The mechanic bat had come to a rest a fair way into the trees and was smoldering in the aftermath of its crash, but it was stationary as she approached.

As she came within ten yards of it Diana stared in awe at the shine of the blackened metal of the monstrous thing in the light of both the flames and the moon. Before now she had never thought the forging of such a machine possible and the fact it flew defied all knowledge of technology her current studies had shown her. The single break in the metal was a glass area near what would be guessed as the upper part of its face and was curved outward in shape. The metal was misshapen in several places and smoke still poured from its left wing. She decided to circle round its right side and kept her eyes trained on the reflective glass dome.

In an instant the lack of motion was ended as something hit at the glass from beneath. Diana stood with her strongest defensive stance ready for anything as the mirror like eyes of the bat cracked on the second hit. On the third a black hand shot through shards of glass into her vision and was rapidly followed by a forearm and elbow, which proceeded to knock away any remaining glass.

The figure that emerged from the mechanic bat's eyes made Diana freeze with a definite feeling of dread, even though it was obviously injured, the being emitted a power and darkness that was overwhelming. A bat? No not a bat, far too human to be one. It was clearly a man from the tone of the heavy breaths that now met her ears.

This Man-bat was taller than Diana, not by much but still so, and his body was encased in darkened armour adorning a bat-insignia on the chest and he wore a black cape cut to the shape of bat wings, adding to the effect. His face was covered by a mask, not a helmet, which hid everything except his stone carved jaw line and his eyes, which were closed in evident pain. His actual body was well defined by his armour and she could easily sense that he would be a challenge to overpower for any warrior and as he lifted himself from his vessel she had to admit she was impressed.

Although she was endowed with strength greater than other Amazons, who were blessed with strength and immortality by their protective goddesses, this Man-bat did intimidate her. Yet, she did not allow herself to be scared as a result of such basic instinct. She knew what her basic instincts did not and that was the power her body wielded.

The Amazon princess allowed herself no more time to dwell in these thoughts. "You there, man!" Diana shouted from her position, metres from the bat like craft. "Who are you? And what is your purpose here?" The creature was now clutching his right side, presumably due to an injury, but any evidence of it was hidden from Diana's eyes by the darkened tone of the suit.

His head snapped up to look at her, with his eyes open. For one agonising moment fear gripped her, not fear for her own safety, but of the despair and pain in his steel azure blue eyes. In this instant it consumed her mind and refused to let her escape. This man had suffered badly and it was far beyond anything she could hope to understand. It even crossed her mind that he may have experienced a greater grief than her mother, Hippolyta, and her sisters did at the hands of Heracles. This feeling vanished from the eyes within seconds and allowed her freedom, but she would never forget.

The Man-bat brought the cape round his front to cover any evidence of his injury and stood straight with no sign of pain in his jaw or eyes. "Where is this?" The power in his voice immense, but it was wasted on Diana as she would not let herself give in to a command from an intruder.

"I ask the questions, you are the intruder! Now answ-"

"Ancient Greek dialect, archaic dress and weaponry with ancient Greek patterns, and a female warrior with a clear prejudice toward men," the creature interrupted, "Is this Themyscira?" The simple deduction stunned her to silence and that was her downfall. "I'll take that a yes."

"Mind your tongue! Speak as I dictate!" She yelled trying to regain some authority, frustrated at how easily she was being manipulated, lifting her sword toward the man. "Your very presence is a breach of our laws and you will answer my questions. I will then take you before my mother, Queen Hippolyta, whom will decide your fate."

"You mean the time of my execution, don't you _Princess_?" The man replied with a monotone expression, silencing her once more. Diana's frustration rising further from the fact she had unwittingly told an enemy her status.

"Your Highness!" The voices of her fellow Amazons felt like a sense of relief washing Diana, soothing her immature anger. The Man-bat turned his face to the nearing shouts from the clearing before moving back to her.

"It seems I only have time to answer your first question Princess," the Man-bat stated as if it was certain.

"You will answer them all, you cannot escape, surely you realise that." Diana said back, finally advancing towards him. She was given a new found confidence from her sisters' arrival and the man's menacing demeanour began to lose its effect. However, he then reached inside his cape as if to draw a weapon at which Diana reformed her stance. "DO NOT RESIST OR I AND MY SISTERS WILL BE FORCED TO KILL YOU!"

"We shall see Princess," was the answer. The man pulled out his 'weapon' which appeared to be no more than hand sized box. He then aimed one end toward the high reaches of the trees further from the clearing and with simple motion of his hand it exploded and rope shot from the box and tied itself around a far away branch. Diana simply stood in awe-like confusion as he prepared his escape, but before he completed his actions he faced her again. His voice then took on an almost god-like power as he answered her question. "I am the Batman and I will not follow the laws of a society that is afraid of humanity."

With that the rope tensed and he was pulled in the darkness of the woods.

Diana remained in the same spot, frozen by his words. "Your Highness! Diana!" The yells' of her mother's sister and general, Antiope, finally brought Diana from her shock causing her to blink in confusion at her worried aunt. "Are you okay my niece? You should not scare me like that. Her Majesty would never forgive me if any harm came to you." The elder Amazon chastised, before looking to the wrecked mechanic bat. "What happened here?"

"A man has trespassed in our sanctuary, General." Diana stated reinstating some formality into the situation. She glanced around at the large squad that had accompanied Antiope and gave her orders. "Send word to my mother and have your soldiers search the surrounding forest, focus on the eastern expanses. I leave this task to you for you have far greater experience. However, I want him captured alive. That is an order." Despite an instant of distaste on her aunt's face at the clarification the general issued the order to the letter and soon only Antiope and Diana remained near the bat craft's impact site.

"I beg your pardon, your Highness," Antiope approached with curiousity, "but I am surprised you would make such a clarification." The latent hatred in the woman's words was obvious to even the comparatively innocent ears of Diana, and from what Diana knew of her aunt's past in Patriarch's world she was sympathetic.

"Something he said about us, Amazons not women, bothers me," Diana answered gazing up to the now setting moon. "Whether he dies in the end is of no concern to me beyond how I value life in any living thing, but before he does I will make him repent those words."

"What could he know of us?" The older woman seethed in offense, disturbing the calm night, before reigning in her temper and continuing. "Our goddesses have protected us from Man for so long, how could he even know of our existence, let alone judge us?"

"He knows of us, I promise you that," the princess replied not turning from Selene's torch. She did not continue her explanation further, nor did she allow the general any chance to question further as she ended her skyward gaze and made her way back to her horse. She left her aunt to calm her anger, knowing that Antiope would scold herself for such a lapse in control especially at such a vague explanation.

As she mounted her mare Diana made a promise to Batman in her heart. '_I will show you Batman, we are not afraid of Man. Our way of life is the only way to live in peace, free of corruption that Man is responsible for. You cannot see it now because you are a blind fool of Patriarch's World. You may be a man yourself but I have felt the pain that breathes within you, the darkness. I will show you our world, which is free of such pain, the light_.'

"You will take back your words, Batman." With her resolve stated Diana spurred her horse and made her own way into the darkness of the forest.

A/N: Okay I'm putting in a real note now. I've altered it slightly i.e. the ending's a little more detailed (and a little better I hope) and I've got rid of a few typos. I just wanted to post it last night because I got really carried away until really late (technically really early) but looked at the clock and rounded it up rather hastily. I've been trying to write a completely different BM/WW fic for ages but have failed as far and when I turned to this idea it just flowed out of me. I'm hoping my interpretation of WW isn't too far off, if anyone has any probs let me know. Please read and review/flame.

As I'm answering one reviewer I'll answer all:

Grendle: Thank you, I doubt it's 'perfect' but I'm glad you liked it.

DJ: Thanks, I'll try not to disappoint.

Mischief: Thanks, and not much. I've changed the summary now but it's not much better, is it?

Kairan: It takes a legend to know a legend... that's a poor answer I'll explain how he knows don't worry. I'll try to be quick.

Ygirl: I haven't really read the comics either, mainly the cartoon, but I do know the basics of that storyline... I think.

Hepburn: To start; thank you for the praise, criticism and advice. No, you haven't offended me in the slightest, having to answer to the pointing out of flaws allows improvement (which my writing needs!). The rest of our discussion was very informative, thanks again and now I'm off to write!

A/reupload: Thanks for all your reviews, and the more recent support too, this has now been slightly edited and a new chap too, I hope you enjoy.


	2. Welcome

**Welcome**

'_Shouldn't have run!_' Batman's mind seethed.'_Makes you look like a hostile and this is __their island__. The princess was right, there's no escape from this._' The scolding voice berated further and Bruce could only agree with its criticism. However, its point was irrelevant; what's done is done, his only choice was to retreat and regroup before attempting any kind of negotiations. '_You really think they're going to be interested in negotiating now?_' He asked himself incredulously, before reminding himself there is always another option.

"Batman to the Watchtower." No reply. "Batman to the Watchtower. J'onn, can you hear me?" His words were whispered but if J'onn was receiving anything he would have answered. '_Damn magic tricks._' Bruce mentally cursed, it seemed Elpis had been accurate in her description of Themyscira's protective barriers. _"Themyscira can not be seen or heard by the outside world unless it is the will of the Goddesses."_ Recalling those last few words, Batman felt a definite unease settle within him. Deities had never been something he'd appreciated crossing paths with, be they old or new, good or evil.

Nonetheless, it was their followers that presented the current threat, be it because of his rookie mistakes or not. After his initial head start he'd made with the grapple Batman had taken to moving through the undergrowth of the forest as to give his pursuers the least chance of spotting him directly in the moonlight, and in the rays of the soon to be rising sun.

Leaving a trail was unavoidable, the deep cut in his side saw to that and the Amazons had done Artemis proud. Their formation covered optimal ground but preserved the safety of numbers and, to their credit, the level of stealth they maintained was more than impressive. However, upon coming across a small stream among the trees, his head start had proven the difference between Batman and his hunters. It had allowed him to make tracks that led away a fair distance from the water before returning roughly 30 yards upstream. However, it was now that this plan entered a very delicate stage.

Moving silently along the slanted banks of the stream, sheltered in the denser plant life lining it, Batman approached his initial crossing point with trepidation. His pursuers movements were still audible in his cowl's earpiece. While the Amazons to the front of the group were swift and comprehensive in their sweep, those to the rear were sure and precise, scanning for both anything missed or new.

Deciding quickly, Bruce took the gamble and made his way downstream. After any discernable sounds of the Amazons left his ear shot, Batman adorned the night vision goggles he kept in his utility belt, now thankful for the forest's background noise as the gadget giving off a definite 'whirr'. Staying with the brook wasn't wise so, as the shores leveled out, he briefly scanned the area and returned to moving through the undergrowth.

Bruce let out a low hiss, clutching a disinfectant cloth to his wound to minimize any further blood loss and trail left thereof. He then turned his thoughts now to finding a location to regroup. From what he had seen of the land before crashing the forest was vast, continuing even after a sudden cliff on the north side of the mountain he was certain had just turned from heading up. He was going to be captured in this forest, of that Batman had no doubt, but he needed to treat his injuries soon; the blood loss would become problematic in minutes if he didn't. '_Need a place out of plain si-_'

As if hearing his request, the ground beneath him proved weaker than his estimation; giving way into an underground cavern leaving him no time to brace himself. His body thudded against outcropping rock in the wall first before his front thumped into the stone floor. Bruce let out a raspy grunt as his ribs cracked from the fall, driving the air out him, then the rest of his nervous system kicked in.

"ARRRGH!" The pain was excruciating, if his ribs were the only bones damaged he would be a very lucky man, but Batman had never relied on such traits and now wasn't a smart time to start.

Opening his eyes, he was met by a wall of green static, he was going to have to have WayneTech improve durability on the next set of prototype goggles. Pulling the broken goggles from around his eyes between sharp and laboured breaths, Batman raised his head to briefly check his surroundings. Nothing he hadn't expected; a dark cavern where his main source of light was the hole in the roof he'd just made. There was a dim hint of moonlight behind him, most likely a more conventional entrance, but he didn't have the time worry about that now.

Lifting his head further, Bruce focused on a random point among the infinite number in the darkness surrounding him, mentally pushing the agony to the back of his mind. Soon his breathes eased and the pains subsided into one much more manageable annoyance.

His mind's complaints may have subsided, but his body's problems remained and were now far past the point of ignoring. Pulling himself out of the brief meditative state, Batman rose to a sitting position.

After removing the upper half of his armour, including his gauntlets and gloves, Bruce pressed a fresh disinfectant cloth to the open cut, suppressing a new hiss of pain as he did so. '_Concentrate__,_' his thoughts scolded, and he complied, knowing the injuries were of his own making. Having cleaned the wound, he held up a sealed bandage roll to his mouth...

He lost himself for a moment. Nausea from the blood loss and hindered breathing were finally catching up with him. He bit into the plastic without a care and quickly wrapped the dressing around his lower abdomen, leaving the cloth in place to absorb the blood. His task done Batman turned his eyes back to the darkness around him, standing up in the moonlight he challenged the shadows, "I know you're there."

An arm immediately wrapped itself over his left shoulder, the hand lifting his chin up in a firm grip, allowing a blade to press against his throat. '_Idiot._' He hadn't sensed her get this close. "Do you?" The princess's voice asked calmly in her ancient tongue, her mouth aside his ear. "Or was that a bluff?"

"Take it as you want Princess." Bruce replied, raising his hands in surrender. "It won't change the reality of your sword against my throat."

"True," she agreed, "but it will help me decide what kind of man I am dealing with." To his surprise Batman felt the vice grip on his chin be carefully released, not allowing him the chance to make a sudden move and risk him slicing his own throat. The Princess then repositioned both her blade and herself, so that any lapse in her expert hold on the weapon would cost him his jaw and that now neither one of them held any secrets in the darkness.

There she stood directly in front of him, a sword to his chin, and Bruce's mind couldn't help but pause to take in the image of the moonlit princess. In the clearing the light had been sporadic and the circumstances distracting, and all he had been able to focus on was the striking sapphire blue of her eyes, but now she stood in the pale moonlight and the thought of asking her to a dance crossed the playboy section of his mind. Her ebony hair flowed with grace to, what he guessed was, just between her shoulder blades, and her entire 6'1'' frame displayed power and beauty beneath her chiton that he could not underestimated. However, once again, it was her bright sapphire blue eyes that drew his attention, they possessed an undeniable aire of innocence and unbendable will, but seemingly no anger; present or latent.

From this Batman quickly concluded that although this woman clearly held no ill toward him, despite his foolish implication earlier, she would not hesitate to kill him if necessary. Bruce almost smirked, both her words and change in stance were a challenge to disarm her. His mind even devised seven ways to do so, but none produced a certain outcome when considering his injuries and the Amazon myth.

"It was a bluff," he answered, holding her stare comfortably.

"So," the princess began, "you are a man who talks to the shadows?" Her joke was in complete deadpan, she intended no humour and nor did he try to find any. Each of them stood firm, their eyes locked, and continued to gauge the person opposite.

* * *

Hippolyta gazed over her people's sanctuary with a frustrated grimace, leaning on the marble balcony rail the queen subconsciously dug her fingertips into the white stone, cursing the fates as they crossed her. Needless to say, this night was not her own.

Paradise Island's secret had been exposed. Firstly to the world, if only for an instant, and she was now certain that exact instant was no mere coincidence the fates had written alone, for it had allowed a mortal man to set foot upon Themyscira's soil. It had been Athena's own order to never allow such an occurrence and Hippolyta knew it well within within deity of warfare and wisdom's power to prevent a mortal access to the isle's shores.

"All I need is your reason, my lady Athena." The royal uttered under her breath, glaring down at her fingers grinding into the polished stone. "Maybe then I might at least understand why my daughter has been exposed to Man's corrupted world."

"_**Ask and you shall receive, my dear Hippolyta.**_" A luxurious voice whispered, startling the Amazon queen. Spinning on her heel Hippolyta was greeted by the incomparable smile of beauty.

"My lady Aphrodite." She said, kneeling to the ground and bowing her head in respect.

"_**Rise and speak your mind child of Gaea**_," the goddess replied with a hint of apathy, "_**I am much more interested in that than formalities.**_"

"Forgive me." Hippolyta complied, standing once more, permitting her tone to portrait some of her frustration. "I must ask why a mortal man has been allowed sanctuary here, it risks our exposure to the world and its dangers."

"_**And yet exposure is exactly the duty we ordered you to charge to an ambassador several years ago Hippolyta.**_" Aphrodite challenged in return. "_**You expect us to believe it is Themyscira's safety that delays you and not your own personal reasons?**_" Hippolyta could not answer and instead turned her eyes to the ground in shame for her weakness. The Goddess knew the true answer and excuses all too well, but felt it would be folly on her part to scold the Queen for showing such love. "_**Fear not Hippolyta, Olympus' patience has not reached its limits yet,**_" Aphrodite comforted, raising Hippolyta's chin in her hand, "_**however, that is not why we are having this discussion.**_"

"The man." Hippolyta affirmed, her heart lifted by her Goddess' words.

"_**Yes.**_" Aphrodite breathed, looking out across the island. "_**Quite a perplexing situation, for as you concluded, his presence is by Athena's will.**_"

A/N: Well, this has been a long time coming hasn't it? It marks my 'official' freedom to write as now my university year has ended, but the main reason why this took so long was that i was just never happy with what i wrote, and I don't honestly expect this to be all that well recieved either. Anyway, sorry for taking so long and sorry for not getting Diana or the Amazons right at all the first timecaround, this was pointed out to me by one Hepburn and I'm glad she did cos I honestly agree. With even what little i knew of WW when i wrote the first chap I think i got her wrong, i made her too scared and intitially made very stupid assumptions about her powers, but i have now done further research and read the origin part of 'WW: Gods and Mortals' I know there's more and i will read it, but it's just rather hard for me to read for long periods cos of all the text. As for the Amazons, the one mentioned in chap1 being Antiope, I got them wrong, simply put. As such i have changed chap1 slightly as you may have noticed. I hope you're enjoying this so far, and i promise to update quicker than last time, granted that's not promising much but still...pls R&R/F

To Hepburn: **1.** I read Trinity upon your advice, it's not all that great, but it's okay. Anyway, to note 2 BMWW scenes, one being the one you mentioned where WW beats BM at his own game, I like it (the pure hardcore BM fan in me wants to blame SM, but i know BM would use the same tactics anyway), however, to the other which involves a snog I say: BULL****! NO! NO! BATMAN WOULD NEVER DO THAT! okay i'm not that bothered but still...**2. **Frank Miller's DKR (Part 4 to be exact) is now my second fav BM comic, my favourite is now 'BM: Black and White Volume 1' in particular the short story by Bill Sienkiewicz, 'Bent Twigs'


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